Segmented electric cable arrangement

Abstract

The cable is made up of a series of pairs stranded alternately in one direction and the other. At the locations of the reversal of the stranding direction, the individual conductors are kept in the form of a web and welded together side by side. Between two thus bonded segments, the adjacent pairs are twisted in opposite directions. A ground wire is provided with lengths of sheathing which come to be placed in the bonded segments. These segments are marked by deposition of a radioactive substance or other indicator material detectable during a subsequent stage of manufacture and actuating marking. Once overall stranding and jacketing have taken place, or during those stages, the bonded segments are spotted owing to the indicator substance and are marked visibly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electric cable comprising an assembly of individual conductors and a jacket, said individual conductors being provided with individual insulating sheaths, said individual conductors being arranged in alternating successive first and second segments, said first segments being grouped segments of stranded individual conductors and said second segments being bonded segments of individual conductors arranged in parallel in a flat web, said sheaths of said individual conductors being joined to one another in a predetermined order over the entire length of each of said bonded segments; said cable further comprising a metal shield, a ground conductor, and an additional sheath, said ground conductor being bare along said grouped segments and contained within said additional sheath along said bonded segments, said additional sheath being bonded to said sheaths of said individual conductors along one edge of said web in each of said bonded segments.   
     
     
       2. An electric cable portion comprising: a jacket of substantially cylindrical shape and within said jacket an assembly of a predetermined number of individual conductors,   each individual conductor contained within a continuous insulating sheath and extending over the entire length of said cable portion,   wherein said assembly comprises grouped segments and bonded segments alternately distributed along the length of said assembly,   said individual conductors form, along each of said grouped segments, a plurality of strands, each said strand being a stranded assembly of a small number of twined conductors,   said sheaths of said individual conductors being parallely joined to one another in a predetermined order over the entire length of each of said bonded segments to form a web along each bonded segment.   
     
     
       3. The electric cable of claim 2 wherein said sheaths are welded together in a side-by-side configuration along each of said bonded segments to form said webs. 
     
     
       4. The electric cable of claim 2 wherein strands formed of the same individual conductors and belonging to two successive of said grouped segments are twisted in reverse senses. 
     
     
       5. The electric cable of claim 2 wherein said jacket includes markings for locating said bonded segments.